1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a carrying case for portable electronic equipment and, more particularly, to a carrying case for a portable external defibrillator.
2. Related Art
Sudden cardiac arrest is a disruption of the heart""s functioning that causes a lack of blood flow to vital organs. In a majority of instances, sudden cardiac arrest is manifested as an abnormal or chaotic heart rhythm, called arrhythmia. These instances are generally identifiable by the victim""s immediate loss of pulse, loss of consciousness and a cessation of breathing.
Sudden cardiac arrest has been attributed to over 350,000 deaths each year in the United States, making it one of the country""s leading medical emergencies. World-wide, sudden cardiac arrest has been attributed to a much larger number of deaths each year. Unless medical intervention is initiated, sudden cardiac arrest can lead to death within a matter of minutes. To date, the average survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest remains at around 5 percent. In cities with traffic congestion and slow elevators, the survival rate is estimated to be as low as a mere 1 percent.
There are four critical components of medical treatment that must be administered to a victim of sudden cardiac arrest: (1) early access to emergency care; (2) early cardiopulmonary resuscitation to keep the blood oxygenated and flowing to the victim""s brain and other vital organs; (3) early defibrillation (the application of an electrical shock to the heart) to restore the heart""s regular rhythm; and (4) early access to advanced medical care. When a person is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, the electrical activity within the heart becomes chaotic. An electric shock from a defibrillator can reorganize the electrical impulses to allow coordinated pumping action to resume. To administer this shock, special pads from a machine called a defibrillator are placed on the victim""s chest, and an electric shock is sent through the victim""s body from one pad to another. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cpadsxe2x80x9d will include both pads and paddles.
If prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation is followed by defibrillation within about four minutes, the victim""s chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest can approach or exceed forty percent. Prompt administration of defibrillation within the first critical minutes is considered one of the most important components of emergency medical treatment for preventing death from sudden cardiac arrest.
Since prompt defibrillation is critical to survival, portable defibrillators have been developed that can be carried to the victim""s location to defibrillate the victim prior to reaching a hospital. These portable defibrillators, like other sensitive electronic equipment, can fail if dropped or bumped during transportation or exposed to adverse environmental conditions. Additionally, various wires, pads and other supplies are needed to operate the portable defibrillator and must be transported along with the defibrillator.
Carrying cases have been developed to protect portable defibrillators and associated supplies during transportation and while in storage. One of the more common carrying cases is made of fabric, commonly referred to as a soft side case, in which the defibrillator is placed. Soft side cases typically are formed from a fabric envelope without significant structure and are occasionally provided with a large pocket, in which associated supplies, such as cables and pads, are stored. Soft sided cases, while occasionally adequate to protect the defibrillator against the elements, offer very little protection to the defibrillator in the event the defibrillator is dropped or bumped during transportation. Additionally, supplies and cables within the supply pockets often become tangled, hindering deployment of the defibrillator.
Another common case for transporting and storing portable defibrillators is a hard sided case having two symmetrical or similar halves hinged together, similar to a suitcase. Although this case effectively protects the defibrillator against damage during transportation, it has proved to be unsatisfactory in use. Specifically, to deploy the defibrillator, it is necessary to unlatch and open the case (i.e. separate the two halves of the case to expose the enclosed defibrillator), remove the defibrillator, close the case and set the case aside. This process consumes valuable time which could be spent defibrillating the victim or otherwise attempting to save the victim""s life. Additionally, the case must be managed at the scene; in a crowded and hectic environment, the case can occupy valuable space that could be used by medical personnel or other instrumentation.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a carrying case for a portable external defibrillator that is compact, easy to use, and that will adequately protect the defibrillator against hazards associated with transportation and storage. It would also be advantageous to have a carrying case that will not contribute significantly to cluttering the scene of the medical emergency nor extend the amount of time required to set up the defibrillator prior to operation. Additionally, it would be advantageous to have a carrying case that would provide for organization of the wires, pads and other supplies typically used in connection with operation of the defibrillator.
The present invention is a carrying case for an external defibrillator or other electronic device that is compact, easy to use, and that will adequately protect the device during transportation and use. The carrying case includes a body structure that defines a main compartment dimmensioned to retain the defibrillator such that at least one surface-mounted operational feature of the defibrillator is immediately exposed and accessible without removing the defibrillator from the carrying case. Also included are storage compartments, each dimmensioned to receive, store and retain items operationally associated with the defibrillator. Each storage compartment has an aperture formed on an exterior of the carrying case such that each storage compartment is immediately and separately accessible from an exterior of the carrying case.
Generally, the surface-mounted operational features include an operational control panel of the defibrillator. Here, a side of said main compartment adjacent to the operational control panel is configured with an aperture sufficiently large to provide access to the panel. In some embodiments, a zippered flap covers the aperture. The surface-mounted operational features may also include, for example, a battery pocket access door. In this embodiment, a side of the main compartment adjacent to the battery pocket is configured to include an aperture sufficiently large to enable the operator to quickly and easily replace a battery in the battery pocket. Other operational features may include, for example, display panels, speakers, electrical and data communication ports, etc.
The carrying case includes one or more doors each associated with a storage compartment. The doors are movably mounted on the body to be located in a plurality of positions. When in a closed position, the door obscures the aperture of the associated storage compartment preventing access to items stored therein; when in an open position the door is adjacent to the aperture, allowing such access to the stored items. The items may be any item operationally related to the defibrillator. Preferably, such items stored in each storage compartment will include a combination of one or more supplies, cables and pads that are functionally related. For example, in one storage compartment monitoring equipment is stored. Such monitoring equipment may include, for example, an EKG cable and a finger SpO2 cuff cable. It is also preferable that one of the storage compartments is dimensioned to store replaceable items. In certain embodiments, a zipper is provided in place of such doors.
In an alternative embodiment, at least one storage compartment is constructed and arranged to store one or more connectable items adapted to be operationally connected to the defibrillator. This storage compartment is formed at a location in the carrying case body structure to enable the connectable items to be and remain connected to the defibrillator while stored in the storage compartment.
Preferably, a portion of the body structure is comprised of a material enabling an image of items stored in certain xe2x80x9ctransparentxe2x80x9d storage compartments to be externally visible. This enables an operator to view contents of such transparent storage compartments without opening the associated door.
In another aspect of the invention a carrying case for a defibrillator is disclosed. The carrying case includes a body structure constructed and arranged to include a first compartment configured to detachably secure the defibrillator within the compartment. The first compartment is defined by walls of the body structure, certain of walls of which have apertures to provide direct and immediate operator access to one or more control panels of the defibrillator. A plurality of storage compartments are also defined in the carry case body structure. Each of these storage compartments is configured to store one or more supplies, cables and pads. Importantly, each storage compartment has at least one wall defining an exterior of the carrying case, the exterior wall having an aperture adapted to be covered by a door movably mounted on the body structure. This enables each of the storage compartments to be separately accessible from the exterior of the carrying case without having to reposition the defibrillator or access any other storage compartment in the carrying case. Preferably, either or both the body structures and doors comprises a transparent portion enabling an operator to view the content of certain storage compartments without opening the door associated with that storage compartment.
In another aspect of the invention a combination of elements including a portable defibrillator and a carrying case is disclosed. The carrying case includes a semi-rigid sub-frame structure defining a plurality of individual and separately accessible compartments, at least one of which is adapted to accommodate the defibrillator in such a manner as to enable access to one or more surface-mounted operational features, including a control panel of the defibrillator without removal of the defibrillator from the carrying case. Embodiments of the carrying case also include a flexible outer cover covering at least a portion of the sub-frame forming exterior walls and/or doors of certain storage compartments. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the flexible outer cover disposed over some of the storage compartments is transparent to facilitate viewing of contents of such compartments. In one particular embodiment, the sub-frame structure further defines a storage compartment constructed and arranged to accommodate replaceable items associated with the operation of the defibrillator.
Further features and advantages of the present invention as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most one or two digits of a reference numeral identifies the drawing in which the reference numeral first appears.